Demountable tray assembly



Nov. 6, 1962 M. J. OBRIEN ETAL DEMOUNTABLE TRAY ASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 11, 1960 GREGORY O'BRIEN MARY JANE O'BRIEN INVENTORS BY M Z;

II II ll II II Nov. 6, 1962 J, R T 3,062,602

DEMOUNTABLE TRAY ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 11, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.4

GREGORY O'BRIEN MARY JANE O'BRIEN INVENTORS Nov. 6, 1962 M. J. OBRIEN ETAL 'DEMOUNTABLE TRAY ASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 11, 1960 GREGORY O'BRIEN:

MARY JANE O'BRIEN INVENTORS BY W M. J. O'BRIEN ETAL DEMOUNTABLE Nov. 6, 1962 TRAY ASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 11, 1960 ORY O'BRIEN Y JANE O'BRIEN ER A GM INVENTORS FIG. 9

trite States This invention relates to a tray and stand assembly and more particularly to a demountable tray and stand combination wherein the tray may selectively be used with an invertible stand support or on a pair of crib rails.

One of the particular objects of this invention is to provide a selectively usable tray molded into such a con figuration that it may be placed across the rails of a crib, used as a bed tray, as a childs table or other such supporting means in combination with an invertible stand.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tray configured by a molding process to fit without appreciable lateral movement over the rails of a babys crib to be placed thereon for supporting an infant and slidable longitudinally along the rails to either end of the crib.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a molded tray with indents in the bottom and top surfaces thereof so arranged that the tray fits across the rails of a babys crib, an invertible stand forming part of the tray combination which provides support thereon as a table, infants dressing platform, or other useful purposes hereinafter enumerated. These and other objects of this invention are more clearly to be understood from the specification which follows taken together with the accompanying figures and the appended claims.

In the figures:

FIGURE 1 shows a tray according to this invention fitted over the rails of a babys crib;

FIGURE 2 is a cross section through 2-2 of FIGURE 1 to show the details of the tray by which it fits over the rails;

FIGURE 3 shows the tray according to this invention in its use with a stand made part thereof in one of the positions of the support stand;

FIGURE 4 is a cross section through 44 of FIGURE 3 to show the fitting of conformations of the tray on the upper support rails of the support stand;

FIGURE 5 shows the use of the support stand in its inverted position with the tray of this invention;

FIGURE 6 shows an exploded view of details of the assembly of the tray of this invention with its mattress, safety belt and support stand;

FIGURE 7 is a cross section through 77 of FIGURE 5 to show the support stand in its inverted position and the fitting of the conformations of the tray of this invention thereon;

FIGURE 8 shows the tray in use as a play table or dining table in a crib when the rails are lowered; and

FIGURE 9 shows how the tray and its support stand when used with chairs forms a childs dining set.

In FIGURE 1, a crib 10 is shown with slidable and lockable side rails 11 and 12, and the tray 13 according to this invention being supported on the rails 11 and 12. Tray 13 is normally equipped with a mattress 14 and safety belt 15 which is wrapped around the middle of mattress 14 and includes an integral belt and buckle assembly 16 which may be used to prevent an infant from rolling off the tray while the tray is in use as a baby diapering tray, one of its functions.

Referring to FIGURE 2, the cross-section reveals the construction of the tray 13 with its molded configuration which includes lateral indents 17 and 18 in the bottom of the tray permitting the tray to fit over rails 11 and 12 and peripheral base projections 20 adjacent to indents 17 and 18 respectively to act as stops against lateral tet Patented Nov. 6, 1962 slippage of the tray 13 when sitting over rails 11 and 12. The projections 20 are formed depressions in the tray ends as further described below. The central area 19 of tray 13 is a well, designed to receive the mattress 14 if it is used or as a well area in which a child may play with toys with the least likelihood of pushing them off of the tray. The extreme lateral edges of the well 19 together with the lateral base projections 20 form the sides of indents 17 and 18, respectively to snugly fit the crib rails 11 and 12 so as to be immovably supported thereon.

Referring to FIGURE 3, tray 13 is shown with its mattress 14 and belt and buckle assembly 15, 16 inserted therein assembled on a bent pipe or rod support stand 30, 31, 32, 33. The bent pipe or rod support stand is more clearly seen in FIGURE 4 wherein the longitudinal base 30 and vertical riser 33 can be seen with lateral cross members 34 and 35 supporting the tray by fitting into indents 17 and 18 in the same manner as the rails 11 and 12 of crib 10 fit into indents 17 and 18.

In FIGURE 5, the support stand 31, 32, 33 is shown inverted to support tray 13. Longitudinal base rods 30 appear in further detail in FIGURE 7 in a cross sectional view to show the longitudinal rods 30 supporting tray 13 by fitting under the rolled longitudinal edges of the tray. Thus it may be seen that support base 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 is actually a continuum of rod-like or pipe-like material bent in a rectilinear configuration which may be described as having been formed as follows:

A rectangle closed bent pipe with rounded corners is formed by well-known pipe or rod forming techniques. For the application in connection with tray 13 of this invention the pipe rectangle with rounded corners is longer than tray 13 in its longest dimension but equal to the distance between the rolled longitudinal edges of tray 13 in its narrowest dimension. At a distance from each end of the pipe rectangle equal to one-half of the difference in longitudinal length between the rectangle and the distance between the indents 17 and 18 of the tray, the pipe rectangle is bent degrees with a rounded bend to form the base support 30, 31, 32, 33 shown in FIGURE 6. The base support as shown in FIGURE 6 resembles an inverted U with an elongated base. Alternatively a combination of rods and tubes may be used so as to make the support base disassemblable.

Referring now to FIGURE 6, there is shown an exploded view of the support base 30, 31, 32, 33, 34-, 35, tray, mattress 14, and belt assembly 15, 16, to show their interfitting relationship.

To further illustrates the flexibility of usage of the tray and support base combination of this invention reference is now made to FIGURES 8 and 9 which the considered together.

In FIGURE 8, the tray 13 is shown placed across the rails 11, 12 of a crib to illustrate its use as a play or feeding tray. Toys or the eating utensils illustrated may be supported on the tray in well 19. In FIGURE 9, the tray is assembled onto longitudinal rails 30 in the manner illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 7. When provided with small chairs as shown, a child's table is formed from tray 13 and support 31, 32, 33. The depression or well 19 being provided for prevention of sliding things off of the table. The lateral wells formed from the base projections 20 may be used to hold crayons, utensils or other goodies for the child to use or play with. Thus the combination of the invention can be termed a childs play tray or a crib tray. Among its other uses, when the tray and support base are assembled as in FIGURES 5 and 7, the assembly may be used as a bed tray for invalids, the base feet 34 and 3 5 setting apart over the legs of the invalid in bed and raising the tray 13 to a comfortable level for supporting books or dining equipment.

There has been described above a combination involving a molded tray configured to be supported on rod and tube support or alternately on the rails of a baby crib. The combination has utility as a playing tray for infants either in the crib or in combination with the base support on the floor, and may be used as an inva'lids bed tray or as an infant dressing or diapering support.

What is claimed as new is:

For demountable and slidable use over the rails of an infants crib, an infant dressing tray comprising:

a rectangular article, the outer perimeter thereof being rolled outwardly on all four sides thereof, and having longer sides and shorter ends;

a central flat-bottomed Wel'l having longer side walls integral with said longer sides and end walls spaced apart the distance normally found between the inner surface of the rails of an infants crib;

narrow end-depressions aligned along said shorter ends of said article, and spaced-apart from the shorter ends of said flat-bottomed well so that the walls of said end-depressions and said shorter ends of said fiat-bottomed well which are juxtaposed beneath said article form railways at either shorter end of said article to receive said rails of said infants crib whereby said tray may be slidably supported thereon; and a mattress within said central flat-bottomed well, said mattress having a central belt arrangement looped therearound said belt including an adjustable loop within which an infant may be restrained while being dressed on said mattress in said well.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,016,850 Bittermann Oct. 8, 1935 2,109,869 Ross Mar. 1, 1938 2,463,412 Schaefer April 26, 1949 2,666,681 Adler Jan. 19, 1954 2,692,175 Jacques Oct. 19, 1954 2,766,087 Marcus Oct. 9, 1956 2,790,184 Testa April 30, 1957 2,857,227 Jacques Oct. 21, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 25,808 Great Britain 1903 

